Updates to how Google Ads API Smart Bidding strategies are organized

We previously announced changes to how Smart Bidding strategies are organized to help advertisers choose the right one. Google Ads API developers can now create new or update existing Search campaigns using the following bidding strategies:

• MaximizeConversions, with an optional target_cpa field (mutable starting in v8)
• MaximizeConversionValue, with an optional target_roas field

What’s changing
Starting on September 30, 2021, Google Ads API developers won’t be able to create new TargetCpa or TargetRoas standard bidding strategies in Search campaigns. This change will prevent creating new Search campaigns that use these strategies, as well as prevent updating existing Search campaigns to use these strategies. Instead, use the new optional target CPA field with MaximizeConversions, and the new target ROAS field with MaximizeConversionValue. This change will not affect portfolio (shared) bidding strategies.

AdWords API
AdWords API users can continue to use the old style TargetRoasBiddingScheme and TargetCpaBiddingScheme bidding strategies, since v201809 of that API does not contain the MaximizeConversions.target_cpa field required to migrate to the new style bidding strategies. Their usage will sunset when the AdWords API itself sunsets in April, 2022. Switch to using the new bidding strategies when you migrate your code to the Google Ads API.

What to do
Update any code that creates or updates standard (non-portfolio) TargetCpa or TargetRoas Search campaigns. Use MaximizeConversions or MaximizeConversionValue strategies with their target_cpa (mutable starting in v8) or target_roas fields instead.

There will be no impact to bidding behavior due to this update. Using MaximizeConversions with target_cpa will have the same bidding behavior as TargetCpa. Likewise, using MaximizeConversionValue with target_roas will have the same bidding behavior as TargetRoas.

Refer to our product level announcement for more details on this change.

All existing campaigns using TargetCpa or TargetRoas will continue to run as usual, and you will still be able to manage their bidding strategies and budgets as before. We’ll give advance notice before automatically migrating these old bidding strategies to the new format in 2022.

If you have any questions or need additional help, contact us via the forum or at googleadsapi-support@google.com.
Adam Ohren, Google Ads API Team